Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Effie’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Effie’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and yellow center and prolific branching; natural season flower date August 11-15; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Effie’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a daisy type flower, a natural season flower date around August 11-15 blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Effie’ is a seedling resulting from the open pollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in August 2001. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses at Rijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom and foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 23 in 2002. The natural blooming date of this crop was August 11-16 (week 33). The average height of the plants was 25 cms. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and a yellow center blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Effie’ is ‘Amphion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,271). When ‘Amphion’ and ‘Effie’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: The differences of ‘Amphion’ and ‘Effie’ are (1) Flower size. Flower size of ‘Amphion’ is small, while that of ‘Effie’ is medium. (2) Number of ray-florets. The number of ray-florets of ‘Amphion’ is smaller than that of ‘Effie’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Effie’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Effie’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.7 cm, height 0.7 cm Outside Color Red-purple 70D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts Not present among disc-florets Involucral bracts color Green 139C Bloom Type Daisy Size Medium Fully Expanded 4.5 cm Peduncle length 4 cm Peduncle color Green 139C Number of blooms Approx. 7 blooms per branch per branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Red-purple 70A Mature Yellow 13A Color of upper surface Red-purple 70A of the ray-florets Color of the lower Purple 78C surface of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with purple flowers and a yellow disc Color of upper side Red-purple 70C ray-florets at aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 200-220 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis Reflexing of majority Length of corolla tube 0.5 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2.1 cm Ray-floret width 0.6 cm Ratio length/width Medium Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Disc diameter 1 cm Distribution of Numerous, clearly visible in mature stage disc florets Shape Tubular Color Yellow-green 145C Receptacle shape Domed Raised Reproductive Organs Stamen Present in disc florets only Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Pollen Produced in large quantities Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles Thin Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 3 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form A garden mum outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Spreading Growth rate Low Height 25 cm Width 26 cm Stem Color Green 138B with streaks of Greyed-red 182C Stem Strength Medium Stem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Present Coloration Internode length 3.5 cm Length of lateral From top to bottom 18 cm branch Lateral branch color Green 138B Lateral branch, Intermediate strength attachment Branching (average number Good with 10 breaks after pinching of lateral branches) Natural season August 11-15 blooming date Foliage Leaf color Upper side Yellow-green 147B Under side Yellow-green 148B Color midvein Upper side Green 139D Under side Yellow-green 148D Size Small; length 4 cm, width 3 cm Quantity (number 18 per lateral branch) Shape Cordiform Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Rounded Sinus Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Diverging Between Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Obtuse Apex Mucronate Petiole length 1.5 cm Petiole color Green 139D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Effie’ ‘Amphion’ Flower size 4.5 cm 3 cm Number of ray-florets 200 25 

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 